Garlic Parmesan Escargot.

When I was about 10 years old, my parents took us to a fancy restaurant (with a dress code!) and my dad made me try the Escargot. I was pretty horrified at the idea, but it only took one bite to turn me into a true believer.

Later, in my twenties, hubby and I started going to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival every year, and it became a steadfast tradition to hit France on the way out for some buttery garlic Escargot to-go. Until this year, when we had 5 over-tired children and the line was so very very long. My eternally patient husband offered to wait – he knows it’s my thing, but there’s no way I could justify making everyone miserable for a few bites of heaven. I tried to justify it. Seriously, it’s my once-a-year opportunity. But it just wasn’t worth the trade-off of a miserable ride home. (Barely).

I went into a mourning period about my missed snails, and vocalized my grief at every opportunity, until one day I thought, “maybe I could just make some?” And so began my quest to find snails.

Turns out, they’re right by the anchovies at my market. Who knew? I always assumed they were specially kept behind the glass case at some hoity toity specialty grocer. Nope. Canned. Near the tuna. I was seriously skeptical about these guys and they sat on my counter a couple weeks before I got the nerve up to give it a go. I mean, there’s no way they were going to live up to my expectations. They’re canned. And yet. I had to try.

You guys. YOU GUYS. They were SO GOOD.

And like my father before me, I made my kids try them. After some squirming and protesting, they tried. And loved. And only left me one!!! But I can forgive them, because now I know we can have Escargot any time. This recipe is so easy it’s joke worthy, but boy oh boy, it’s DELICIOUS.